Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about what a check covers, how consent works, and what the verdicts mean.
What does a DVLA licence check cover?
Licence status and expiry, entitlement categories checked against the role you've assigned the driver, penalty points, endorsements and disqualifications — plus Driver CPC and tachograph card for drivers whose role requires them. Everything comes from DVLA's own record, not from what the driver remembers.
How does driver consent work?
You add the driver; we email them a secure link. The link is single-use and expires after 14 days. They open it on their phone, read the declaration, and enter their 16-character DVLA driving licence number — done in under two minutes. That one consent covers scheduled re-checks too, and is refreshed every three years.
Why does the driver enter their own licence number?
Because it proves possession. The 16-character number encodes the driver's surname, date of birth and check digits that an impostor can't derive from a name and email address. Only someone holding the licence can produce it, which is what makes the consent worth something.
Do drivers need to generate a DVLA check code?
No. Check codes are the manual route: the driver generates one on GOV.UK, it expires in 21 days, and the process repeats for every check. DV Check replaces that with a one-off consent, after which every scheduled re-check runs without the driver doing anything.
How often are drivers re-checked?
Every three months as standard, tightening to monthly when a driver reaches six or more penalty points or shows any licence problem. The schedule follows the risk automatically — you don't set reminders and you don't chase drivers for fresh permission.
What do pass, concern and fail mean?
Pass: the licence is valid, the driver holds the entitlement for their assigned role, and points are below the concern threshold. Concern: still legal to drive, but something needs attention — rising points, or a licence nearing expiry. Fail: not legal to perform the assigned role — disqualified, revoked, expired, or missing a required entitlement.
How much does it cost?
You buy prepaid check credits; every check, manual or scheduled, uses one. The per-check rate falls as the pack grows. There's no subscription, no per-driver fee and no minimum term — current pack prices are on the pricing page.
What happens if DVLA can't return an answer?
The credit is refunded automatically. If DVLA hold no record for the number entered, withhold the record, or can't be reached, no answer came back — and a credit buys an answer, not an attempt.
Where does the data come from, and where is it stored?
Licence records come from DVLA's Access to Driver Data service directly — no brokers or third-party databases. Everything is hosted in the UK, licence numbers are encrypted at rest, and each organisation's data is isolated at the database layer.
Can I check my own licence through DV Check?
No. The DVLA contract requires separation of duty: staff must not use the service to view their own record. An account user can't be added as a driver under their own email address — a colleague manages that record instead.
Do you cover HGV and other vocational licences?
Yes. Roles are assigned from the full DVLA category taxonomy — 24 roles, from company car to HGV articulated to tractor — and each check verifies entitlement for the assigned role, including CPC and tachograph card where the role requires them.
Is checking licences actually an employer's legal duty?
There's no statute that says "check licences every N months", but health and safety law places a duty of care on employers for work-related driving, and courts expect it to have been discharged with something more systematic than asking at interview. A recorded, repeating check is the defensible position.